West Plains Bank Building - West Plains, Missouri - Converted Bank Buildings on Waymarking.com

The West Plains Bank Building is located at 107 Washington Avenue in downtown West Plains, Howell County, Missouri. Constructed in 1883, it is a brick commercial building. The building is set directly on the sidewalk, as are other nearby commercial buildings, which are similar in materials and scale. The facade of the narrow rectangular building faces east and is parallel to Washington Ave. A modern storefront, which appears to date to the mid-twentieth century, fills the lower portion of the facade; the upper portion retains the original windows (behind plywood panels) and original decorative features. The second floor, which is divided into four bays, has three windows of equal size and one narrower window. Above the second floor windows, a rectangular wooden signboard is flanked by rectangular attic vents, that have been covered with plywood. A wide pressed metal cornice runs the width of the facade. Two rear additions cover the first floor of the rear elevation; one dates to ca. 1913, the other dates to ca. 1923.

The West Plains Bank Building is currently undergoing rehabilitation. In June, 2000, the second story of the building collapsed due to excessive weight stored on the upper floor. As a result, the windows and door trim on the second floor are the only original interior features that remains. However, as part of the rehabilitation, the original exterior features has been restored, the second floor has been replaced, and a new storefront, designed to closely replicate the original storefront, has been constructed.

The West Plains Bank Building is located in downtown West Plains, Missouri. It faces east and is located on the west side of Washington Avenue approximately one-half a block from the courthouse square. It sits on a lot which slopes gently to the west. On the north, the building shares a party wall with the W. J. Smith Building at 109-113 Washington Avenue. To the south, an alley and parking area separate the building from a commercial building which faces the courthouse square. To the west, another alley separates the building from a parking lot.

The building is a two story two-part commercial block. It has a stone foundation, brick walls and a flat roof with parapet walls. The building is 20 feet wide and 60 feet deep. Two one story brick rear additions, extend the depth of the building approximately 38 feet. The storefront on the ground floor spans the entire facade. This storefront, which has a central recessed entrance, wooden bulkheads, and large plate glass windows, appears to date to the mid-twentieth century. The original transom above the storefront has been boarded over, but the original steel lintel above the transom is still visible.

The upper part of the facade is divided into four bays. There are three equally-sized and equally-spaced windows and one narrower window in the north end bay. These windows, which are tall and narrow, have hooded,arched brick lintels and brick lugsills. All of the windows on the facade have been boarded over, but the original one-over-one double hung windows remain intact behind the plywood. The top sash of these windows is curved to match the arch of the brick lintels. Above the windows, a rectangular signboard is flanked by two rectangular attic vents. The words "West Plains Bank" can be made out beneath the brown paint on the signboard. The vents have been boarded over by plywood. The pressed metal cornice, which runs the width of the facade, has wide end brackets and dentils.

The south elevation of the building is unstyled. The brick walls have been covered with stucco. The first floor of the side elevation does not have any openings. However, there are three windows and a door on the second floor. Two of the three windows are in place and appear to be early or original. The third window opening has been filled in with plywood. The existing windows are double hung with two vertically divided lights in the upper sash and one single pane in the lower sash. The upper sash, like those in the windows of the front elevation have arched tops. The door, which is reached via an exterior steel staircase, is a five panel solid wood door and also appears to be early or original. Originally, a staircase on the rear elevation led to a second story walkway which ran the depth of the building thereby providing access to the second story rooms. Today, this entrance is reached via a metal staircase on the side elevation.

The rear of the building is also unstyled. The first floor of the rear elevation is covered by the rear additions; the second floor has three equally-spaced window openings. However, one opening has been bricked in and the other two windows have been boarded over and are missing their sashes and frames. There are two rear additions to the building. The earliest wareroom addition is one story tall, is constructed of brick and has a parapet wall roof. It is 12 feet wide by 34 feet long. This addition first appears on the 1914 Sanbom Fire Insurance Map for West Plains. 1 A second rear addition covers the space between the rear addition of the bank building and the rear addition of the adjacent W. J. and Ed Smith Building. A stone wall extends this addition approximately four feet beyond the back wall of the earlier addition. It has a concrete block rear wall and shed roof. It was constructed ca. 1923.